Matt Singer is the editor and critic of the website ScreenCrush.com. For five years, he was the on-air host of IFC News on the Independent Film Channel, hosting coverage of film festivals and red carpets around the world. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle, he’s been a frequent contributor to the television shows CBS This Morning Saturday and Ebert Presents At the Movies, and his writing has also appeared in print and online at The Village Voice, The Dissolve, and Indiewire. His first book, Marvel’s Spider-Man: From Amazing to Spectacular, is on sale now.
Matt Singer
Prepare for the End With the New ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Teaser
If you’re going to tease trailers with shorter versions of the already brief coming attractions, this is the way to do it: With atmosphere, style, and intelligence. The latest War for the Planet of the Apes ad arrives ahead of tomorrow’s full final trailer, and it contains very little actual movie footage; par for the course for this kind of pre-tease. But instead of five or six seconds of flash frames and nothing else, this awesome, ominous clip pairs the voice of longtime Planet of the Apes star, the late Charlton Heston, with newsreel footage and images from the previous two Apes movies, setting the stage for “the end,” which is apparently coming in director Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes. (We’ll see about that. Apes together are pretty strong at the box office.)
‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ Leads the 2017 Golden Trailer Nominees
There are awards for everything in Hollywood except craft services (at least to my knowledge; if there are craft services awards please let me know, I’d love to attend and eat the food). That means there are trophies for movie trailers, which are honored each year by the Golden Trailer Awards...
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Awesome Mix Vol. 2 Finally Has a Full Tracklist
I put on Guardians of the Galaxy on my Blu-ray player this morning, and have the movie going in the background while I work. I’m not paying too much attention, but every couple of minutes another great song comes on the soundtrack that sets my toe tapping. That would be the now-famous “Awesome Mix Vol. 1,” the cassette tape bequeathed to Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord by his dying mom. The keepsake, collecting some of the finest pop songs of the late ’70s and early ’80s, formed the spine of Guardians’ soundtrack, and even became a crucial plot point. And at the end of the film, Peter finds “Awesome Mix Vol. 2,” setting up the sequel, coming to theaters next month.
Netflix Says Users Have Watched 500 Million Hours of Adam Sandler Movies
One of Netflix’s biggest deals so far in the original movie space was with Adam Sandler, who signed on to make four films with the streaming service, and then recently re-upped with the online media titan for another four masterpieces. Maybe you have seen some of their collaborations so far, The Ridiculous 6, The Do-Over, and the just-released Sandy Wexler. If the figures Netflix just released are accurate, the odds are you have.
Where Did All the Great Movie Car Chases Go?
With this week’s release of The Fate of the Furious, we thought it’d be a fun time to do one of our occasional lists of the 25 best films of the last 25 years in a certain category. In the past we’ve done the best sci-fi movies, the best romances, the best sex scenes, and others. This time, for F8, the best car chases of the last 25 years seemed like a perfect fit.
15 Lines We Never Want to Hear in a Movie Again
Last week, I got so sick of hearing a particular line of dialogue — “This isn’t a movie! This is real life!” — that I wrote a piece about it. While finishing it, I teased the article on Twitter by sharing the headline and inviting my followers to guess what line had set me off. I got well over 100 responses, but just one correct answer. But so many of the other replies were also outstanding examples of dumb clichés I decided to collect the best of the best (slash worst of the worst) in their own list.
Whoa: A ‘Matrix’ Reboot Is in Development
This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Jungle Gyms
Movie theaters are in an arms race of amenities. Better chairs, more legroom, better food options, alcoholic beverages, meals served right at your seat; in the last few years, exhibitors have done whatever they can think of to drag people away from their computers and televisions. The latest gimmick, according to the Los Angeles Times: A freaking jungle gym in the actual auditorium.
Robert Osborne, Historian and Turner Classic Movies Host, Dies at 84
Lovers of classic film have lost one of their greatest champions. Robert Osborne, the longtime host of Turner Classic Movies, has passed away at the age of 84. Here is the statement from TCM, via Twitter:
How Many ‘King Kong’ Movies Are There?
He’s big. He’s mean. He has a thing for blondes. He’s King Kong, and he’s back in theaters this month in Kong: Skull Island from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Legendary. The average life expectancy for a gorilla is about 40 years; at 84 years old, Kong’s still going strong, and arguably looking better than ever. If you’re significantly younger than Mr. Kong and new to the franchise, here’s what you need to know about his past, present, and future, along with his many imitators. (Note that there are a few SPOILERS about the old Kongs, but not Skull Island.)
New Netflix Instant Releases: February 2017
January’s almost over, and when the calendar rolls over to February, there will be a whole new batch of movies and TV shows coming to Netflix for your streaming pleasure. This month’s highlights include a few big recent premieres (like Pixar’s latest hit, Finding Dory), and a few big Netflix Originals (like the new series Santa Clarita Diet starring Drew Barrymore). The recent Sundance hit I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore shows up next month, and if you’re looking for something to watch on Valentine’s day there’s also a “big, sexy” special starring Michael Bolton. There’s no way that could work out badly for you.
The Best Movies of 2016 (According to Matt Singer)
What a difference six months makes. Back in the summer, the world of film was all gloom and doom. Television was great; the movies were terrible. One respected critic even speculated that someday the world would look back at 2016 as “the year that movies died.”